IAH will see the first PIA 777 coming in tomorrow from Pakistan via MAN. Anyone in Houston planning on being there? Hopefully we can get some pictures on A.Net real soon. Does PIA have the rights to carry passengers between MAN & IAH?

Wedgetail737,
From what I know there have been rumours of Egypt Air starting service next year and also of Gulf Air returning. Emirates also had IAH in their "list" of US destinations as well as Qatar Airlines but I haven't heard anything lately. China Airlines will begin service on June 22nd and Saudia Arabian airlines started a cargo service last month.

The next most likely carrier will be Emirates. They have stated that once they recieve more A345's that they want to fly to IAH (along with LAX). Indian Airlines has also been talking about serving IAH for a while, but I won't believe them until I see the aircraft parked at Terminal D.

1. PK doesn't have rights for MAN-IAH service yet, it's the only city not yet approved so all of the passengers have to originate in Pakistan. That being said, the flights are pretty much sold out in Coach class for the first few weeks from what has been talked about here locally.

2. Quite a few carriers are launching IAH service this year, PK, China Airlines, Saudia Cargo internationally and there is talk about others from the Middle East and one from JNB-Sao Tome-IAH, Island Express, with 747SPs, but that's the one that I think is the long shot to operate. Don't get me wrong, I'd be quite happy to see it come, but getting a new start-up to serve such a long haul route could be hard to get going.

I'll be there if I'm awake, working midnights 6p-6a so can only get it arriving around 4pm if they're on time...Weather should be good, though it depends on the winds for which runway they'll be using...likely on the 8s/9s I'm afraid...

Hey guys why is it that the USA is allowing all these airlines to start new flights to the country? After all we know that Pakistan is a terrorist backer so how can we agree to let them fly new flights here while we are at war?

Careful: 1st you need proofs for your statements regarding terrorist countries, and second, if it were true, why are they then backed by the US government if they are involved in terrorist activities?? Don't forget, its the US premium ally! See, you can't put a double-standard

we are not at "war" with pakistan. and without their help, we probably would have had a tremendous time invading afghanistan. i dont see how that affects PIA's rights? we should even reward pakistan for being so supportive in light of how america is viewed over in that part of the world.

if i follow your logic, then should we also pan saudi airlines? 19 9-11 hijackers were saudis and there have been some questionable contacts with the saudi royal family and so-called muslim "charities" that are terrorist fronts.

banning airlines should be a political decision against those states that do not serve our interests. that is why we banned Syrian airlines and South African Airways during the latter days of aparthied.

I'll be out there. Look out for a blue Wrangler. Indeed '04' looks to to be a very good year for IAH.

Wedgetail737,

Actually, Pakistan is not considered a Middle Eastern nation. It is in fact often classified as Near East or South Asia.

CBA,

You mean Air India do you not? Indian Airlines is a regional carrier.

DL763,

Seeing that you are an 8th grade student from ATL, I'll forgive you mindless and thoughtless comments.

Targowski,

All good points. I recall when SAA was not allowed to renew it's IAH operations back in the 80s when the city of Houston divested itself from all business contacts with South Africa. In regards to DL763 comments, well they sound very similar to remarks made by someone over at the IAH Spotters Club just before SV Cargo started their operations last month.

After reading your profile, that sounds more like something your parents may think than something you believe. However, while I think we all welcome everyone's opinion on here, there is absolutely NO room for that type of racist rhetoric.

Is MS's proposed service to IAH written in stone? I am keeping my fingers crossed. If true, then this would be only the second scheduled service to the African continent (not including World's oil charters to Angola, Nigeria and EQ. Guinea) since SAA pulled out in the mid 80s.

Thomasphoto60. Well like I said that airline was definitely going to launch flights last year but world events put a hold on that. The airline is still planning to launch flights to Houston. They are supposed to launch flights to Hong Kong too, but their priority is Houston. In other words, yes, it is more less a certainty but still keep your fingers crossed

I believe that someone over at the spotters club mentioned 4PM or so. Though like many new carriers I would not be too surprised to see a delay. I remember waiting at 'IAB' back in '95' for GF's first flight into IAH from Bahrain via JFK, it wound up being over 2 hours late.

Scheduled to be in around 4pm. A quick look at EGCC this evening shows that PK719 took off from OPLA at 0032z, showing eta of 0849z, or about 30 minutes early. Bodes well for IAH to see it on time so far.

Winds are due to be directly out of the south at 17012kt according to the current forecast for noon tomorrow with scattered clouds, like today.

<< banning airlines should be a political decision against those states that do not serve our interests >>: Targowski

I could agree to banning a airline of a country whose actvities are anti-USA... But for not "serving" them?? What an absurd and dangerous statement!!. Targowski: please refrain from trying to teach politics to the DAL762 kiddo.. He seems to be under very biased influences already... And I most certainly hope you and your views never make it to any public or private position in which you have any degree of power to make more complicated the understaning of evey person in the world, or the flights of any airline for that matter.

I invte you to think again of what you said in that paragraph, so the kiddo receives a different lesson.

Reliable source says AP-BGK will be our 777 later today. ETA still pending departure out of MAN, however there's no slot delays and he's showing a flt plan of 8:55 enroute so he could be in around 3:30pm. So be out there early!

I could agree to banning a airline of a country whose actvities are anti-USA... But for not "serving" them?? What an absurd and dangerous statement!!.

Yeah silly and indeed a dangerous and unelaborated thought: this would mean that LH, AF, now IB, AI, etc. etc,i.e. the 'sensible coalition' who did not take part in the Iraq war could not fly anymore to the USA, since they did not agree to serve the interests of the US of A in Iraq. Suppressing like this would not make sense and indeed would be dangerous. Keep in mind that the banning of airlines would be reciprocical, meaning that UA, DL, NW etc. would not be able to serve many countries apart from Britain, and Australia

PK719 will more than likely either land at 9/27 or 8L/26R - how does wind affect whether they land from the east or the west? Is it more desirable to land in a headwind or tailwind?

Hopefully, PK will use runway 27 so we can park at Lee Rd. and watch it. More and more heavies are using the new 8L/26R, but a recent article is saying that NIMBYs are complaining about 8L/26R and IAH officials are promising them that they will only use 8L/26R in extreme (for a lack of a better word) cases.

As 26-08R/L are east west runways (as is 27/09) wind direction is important. If like Friday and yesterday when the winds are primarily from the east (or SSE) planes will utilize 08L/R and 09 for arrivals and departures which is bad for spotters and photographers are there are no sanctioned viewing area to the west of the airport.

As for the NIMBYS, well I have almost no sympathy for these folks. The 8 month old runway had been under construction for over a year and been planned for much longer and now they are making a stink about it. Never mind that IAH had been there since 1969 when that entire area was nothing more that forests and some local farms, predating the population explosion around IAH/FM1960 by almost a full decade. Give me a break. Besides, why would anyone with any lick of good ol' fashion horse sense who craves the relative quiet of the 'burbs' move next door to an ever expanding int'l airport....sheesh! I hate to break it to these folks, but IAH still has a lot more room to grow. You know some of the cry-babies should have been around when the 707s and 747s ruled the skies. You think a 340 or MD11 are noisy now go back some 25-30 years.

Thomas

"Show me the Braniffs"

25 Homer71
: Thanks, Thomas...now I know if I want to take the kids to Lee Rd., check to make sure the winds are coming out of the west (or if winds are calm) and

26 Thomasphoto60
: Like almost everyone, I am hoping that 27 is used but at this point it is up to ATC. Worse case scenario if it should land on 26R, I should have enoug

27 Targowski
: i think we are getting into a clintonian understanding of what "serving" means here. lets clarify... do i think we should ban say, royal jordian airli

28 Iowa744fan
: As I am sure that you all know, if anyone is going to take pictures, they would be much appreciated here!

29 Artsyman
: Well, I, along with many others were happy to see that virtually all inbound traffic into Houston today was arriving on 27. We all sat with cameras an

30 Pbb152
: Jeremy, I was up on the C garage and when I saw PIA on approach to 26R I felt terrible because I knew most of the guys from the IAH spotters club were

31 CALMSP
: sorry guys, I forgot my camera at home and had to buy one in the gift shop, but got some nice pics of the trucks shooting the water on teh PIA 777. Ni

32 Artsyman
: We'll I can't speak for everyone, but I arrived about 3.55pm at Lee Road. We stayed there until we saw the PIA flight land, and then drove over to the

33 Bigmo747
: On behalf of Pakistan, and all of the Pakistanis here in America, I would like to thank all of you wonderful people down there in the Houston area for

34 Behramjee
: PIA doesnt have traffic rights for MAN-YYZ-MAN but it has for MAN-JFK/ORD and IAH. I dont have why IAH-MAN rights have been delayed but it will be obt

35 Pbb152
: Behramjee, IAH is preferred by the three airlines you listed for different reasons. 1. PIA will mainly cater to the large Pakistani community in Houst

36 Horus
: Pbb152, you hit the nail right on the head Egyptair will, on the other hand, cater to the oil business. Supposedly it is the intent of Egyptair to pro

37 ConcordeBoy
: Houston is the fourth largest city in the U.S. Houston proper is the 4th largest city-limit area in the country, but when you're talking metropolitan

38 Vorticity
: Maybe wrong place to ask this question, but where are spotter locations around IAH?